1.3 "Squeeze"
In Baltimore, MD, a man goes to work, watched by an unseen individual
hiding in the sewer. As he enters his office, something follows him up
the elevator shaft, but not using the elevator, rather it comes up
behind the panelling. When the man leaves his office to fetch a cup of
coffee, it unscrews a narrow vent in his office and comes out. As the
man re-enters his office, he is viciously attacked. Then the creature
slinks back into the air duct, replacing and screwing back in the vent
behind it.
Scully is asked by Colton, an old friend from the academy, to lunch and
he asks her to take a look at the case. He explains that several similar
murders have occurred but there is no apparent motive or clear pattern.
All of the bodies have had their liver torn out. He insinuates that if
she helps him out, he may be able to get her transferred away from the
X-Files division.
Scully asks Mulder to come along to look at the latest murder scene.
Noticing some metal shavings on the floor, he discovers a odd
fingerprint on the vent. When they return back to headquarters, he shows
Scully the fingerprints he took and similar ones from an X-File which
dealt with cases in the 1930's and 1960's. Scully explains to Mulder
that the higher-ups don't want him to work on the case, but he explains
that because of these X-Files, they have had jurisdiction on the case
for many years now. But he finally convinces her by saying that they
will work on the case separately from her friend's investigation.
Later that night, Scully writes her psychological report concerning her
thoughts on the serial killer. She believes that his the liver is a sort
of trophy for the killer and that he is likely someone who works in the
building. So, her suggestion is to stakeout the murder site, for she
feels that the killer will return. Impressed by the report, the leader
of the investigative team asks her to join in on the "more down to
earth" case.
At the stakeout, Mulder makes an appearanace and tells Scully that she
is wrong since the murderer's MO back in the 30's and 60's was killing
people as a challenge to defeat the building's security. And as he has
already beat this building he will not return to the scene of the crime.
But as he leaves, Fox notices something in the air ducts. He tells
Scully to call for backup and they apprehend a young man who emerges
from the ducts. And Mulder admits that Scully may have been correct.
At the questioning, Eugene Tombs is subjected to a lie detector test
where he seems to tell the truth about all he questions the
investigation team wanted asked. However, Mulder inserted some questions
of his own, asking if Tombs was over 100 years old or if he had ever
been to Powhattan Mills. Mulder shows them that Tombs lied on his
questions, but the absurdity of the question makes them ridicule him.
So, the leader of the team ignores Mulder and releases the prisoner.
Scully accuses Mulder of intentionally trying to spook the others on the
investigative team. Fox tells her that he knew that they didn't want to
hear his thoughts and would never believe him anyway, which is why he
did it. And while making his point, he fingers the necklace she is
wearing. She knows that he has discovered something. Mulder then shows
her a computer modified image of Tombs' fingerprints stretched out and
that they match the prints taken from the X-File.
Meanwhile, Tombs plans his attack on his next victim. Scaling up the
side of the man's home, he reaches the roof and chimney. Then, he
stretches, making himself narrow enough to slide down the chimney.
Inside, the man pours himself a drink in the kitchen and goes the
mantlepiece to think. He strikes a match and reaches down to light the
fireplace. Suddenly behind him, Tombs, with eyes aglow, emerges and
knocks him down.
When Dana and Fox appear on the scene, her "friend" Colton attempts to
keep them away. But Dana warns him that he would be interfering with
another investigation and asks if he would be so ruthless just to climb
up the ladder of success. He admits that he would and lets them in.
After examining the site, Mulder finds prints on the mantlepiece and
notices that something was taken from it. He is sure it was Tombs.
Back at FBI headquarters, Dana finds out that the address Tombs gave
them was bogus. Mulder also did some investigating and shows her some
more proof. In 1903, Eugene Victor Tombs was born and the first of the
killings happened in the apartment upstairs from him at 66 Exeter
Street. They both then pore through records searching for death
certificaates or other official documents, but apparently Eugene Tombs
just disappeared.
However, they manage to dig up the name of the investigating officer in
the 1933 case at Powhattan Mills. They travel out to see him. The old
policeman says he has been waiting many years for someone to come talk
to him. He tells them about the foreboding sensation that he experienced
when he first investigated the murder. He explains his hypothesis that
Eugene is some sort of genetic mutation caused by some wartime
experimentation. He opens a box containing his own case file which he
has been maintaining for many years now. He says that part of Eugene's
MO is to remove some personal affect from the the people he murders,
thus explaining the object removed from the mantlepiece. Then he shows
them a photograph of where Tombs used to live and a photo of him from
1963. It appears as if he hasn't aged a day.
So, Mulder and Scully head out to 66 Exeter Street. They enter the
apartment and find a hole in the wall which leads them down into the
cellar. They comment that like the officer, they also sense a disturbing
feeling of cold. Then they find the trophies that Eugene had been
collecting from his victims including one which is the same shape as
that removed from the man's mantlepiece. They also discover a "nest"
built from rags, newspapers, and what seems to be bile.
Mulder then explains his theory that Tombs is truly a human mutant that
needs to hibernate and emerges every 30 years. The livers, as they are
very nutritious are his sustenance for that period of inactivity. As the
two leave, Dana snags herself on something. She manages to free herself
and they go, with Tombs crouched above them holding Scully's necklace in
his hands.
They set up a stakeout outside the building using some of the team from
the other division. Colton immediately calls them off the case, upset
that they would use his men for their fantastic theories. Very upset,
Scully returns home. When Mulder returns to relieve the stakeout team,
he finds them gone, and so enters the building alone. He enters the lair
and discovers Scully's necklace among the other trophies.
At home, Scully prepares herself bath, when suddenly some bile falls on
her arm from a vent in her bathroom's ceiling. She dives for her gun.
Mulder tries to call her as he drives madly to her apartment, but her
phone line has been cut. Tombs squeezes out of a vent to attack Dana.
Mulder comes rushing in, in time to save her after Tombs knocks her down
and pulls back to thrust his hand into her middle. They struggle with
him and manage to cuff him to the bathtub.
The old officer reads the story of Tombs' capture and tears it out for
his scrapbook.
Tombs is in a holding cell licking newspapers and tossing them to the
side, building himself a new nest. Dana tells Mulder some of the strange
test results that came back from the examination of Tombs' body and
genetic structure. Mulder comments that people spend much money
installing security systems to keep people out, but then someone like
Tombs exists that makes it all rather futile. They walk off as a guard
brings a tray of food to the prisoner. He opens the slot in the door and
pushes the food through. Tombs stares at the slim slot and just smiles.
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Summary by Cliff Chen, 1993